Zuma’s lawyers must explain apology claim, says Mantashe

Mantashe has come out guns blazing, denying he and Ramaphosa were asked to apologise for criticising Zuma’s reshuffle.

President Jacob Zuma’s legal team was asked on Wednesday to explain why it claimed ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa had apologised for publicly criticising the recent Cabinet reshuffle by Zuma.

This after Mantashe earlier denied he had apologised for his remarks, despite Zuma’s alleged submission to the Constitutional Court that the secretary-general had apologised for publicly criticising his decision.

Zuma’s submission was filed in the secret ballot case, which centres around whether Members of Parliament should be allowed to vote by secret ballot in the motion of no confidence in Zuma.

The president reportedly told the court Mantashe and Ramaphosa apologised.

According to EWN, Mantashe revealed that there was no apology since no one was asked to issue one.

“Nobody was asked to apologise and so there was no apology; there could have been no apology.”

He said the only thing that transpired was a fruitful and constructive discussion on the matter but reiterated that no one was required to apologise.

Mantashe spoke out following the controversial Cabinet reshuffle, telling Xolani Gwala in an interview that he knew nothing about the list of the new Cabinet ministers who were appointed that night.

In fact, according to Mantashe, the list was developed “elsewhere”.

Following his criticism of Zuma, reports emerged claiming he and Ramaphosa were forced to apologise, hence Mantashe’s U-turn when he came out to wish the newly appointed members of parliament “the best”.